 A sweep and destroy operation is conducted by elements of the First Infantry Division on a rubber plantation near Aptan Poak. As they attack the enemy's heavily fortified positions, troops meet strong resistance. Finally, on 20 December, with aerial support, U.S. troops make a successful sweep of the area. A network of tunnels is discovered as they move farther into the plantation. One of a number of Viet Cong suspects taken by the units will later be removed to headquarters for interrogation. On 1 February 1966, elements of the First Infantry Division push through jungles to engage the Viet Cong near the village of Phuoc Lai. Elsewhere in the fighting zone, medics give first aid to the wounded of the division as they wait to be evacuated from the battle area. This medical aid station is located in an old Vietnamese schoolhouse. Rounded up for interrogation, these Viet Cong suspects from another village in the Phuoc Lai sector have been brought to this collection point by troops of the First Infantry Division. Meanwhile, other units of the division move toward a heavily defended Viet Cong position. The VCs are holed up in bunkers and trenches. In addition to heavy mortar fire, the Viet Cong used mines and booby traps and set punjai stakes along the approaches to their position. As the sweep and destroy operation continues on 1 February, helicopters evacuate the wounded to hospitals in the rear area. To meet the need for an expanded water supply, here at Little Tuttle Creek in the Bencott area, the dam is being raised to ensure an adequate volume of water for the area. Truckloads of earth and stone are brought in to reinforce the dam. As troops build up in any locality, sources of water must be established promptly, as it is a prime essential to army operations. A miniature dam constructed by elements of the First Division's engineers produced this body of water. Another source utilized by the engineers was an old Vietnamese well located in Bencott. They cleared it and established a water point there. Pumps were installed to draw the water and a substantial volume resulted. Once established, the flow is maintained with a minimum of manpower. When tank trucks are not available, means of transporting the water are improvised. On Sunday, 20 February 1966, a chaplain hears confessions of men of the 25th Infantry Division. They are gathered at a point along Route 19 between An Kei and Pleiku to attend mass. The chaplain traveled by helicopter to reach the men. He is also visiting three other locations on this date, spending an hour at each location. On the following day, a civil affairs team of the 25th Infantry Division makes a visit to the Trabaugh Refugee Settlement, located approximately eight kilometers northeast of Pleiku. During their two-hour stay, the team gives medical attention to the villagers. The captain in charge of the team lines up the children and issues vitamin pills to them. When issuing other pills, requiring time intervals to patients who do not have watches or clocks, simple associations with the movement of the sun are established. More involved conditions, which are found in the course of the general examinations, are carefully considered before settling on a course of treatment. In many cases, medicines never before available to the villagers are supplied. Personal hygiene is taught the youngsters of the village. The captain teaches the group by demonstrating on himself the ways of soaping and rinsing. In the course of a week, this team visits most of the villages in the Pleiku area. Retreat ceremonies are held 29 January to commemorate the second anniversary of Major General Jonathan O. Seaman as 1st Infantry Division Commander. Scene of the observance is Division Headquarters at Dion. Vehicles on board. We in turn bring it to the beach and discharge it. And we have a secondary mission of carrying rolling stock and general cargo to the various ports in South Vietnam. I noticed behind me, for example, that we have equipment belonging to the United States Air Force, which I would assume that you are not limited to just material by the United States Army, but you're part of your mission encompasses assistance of other services. That is correct. As you know, the Army itself is responsible for beach operations, which covers all the services. And under the one manager concept, that is the Army's primary responsibility. And this equipment here is what they call Red Horse Equipment. That is Air Force construction equipment. And a lot of it is very large and heavy. And this vessel is ideal for carrying it. And we are loading it here at Camron Bay, and we will take it down to Phan Rang, where they will assist in the construction of the airfield at Phan Rang. At the mat covered South Beach of Camron Bay, the beach discharge lighter, Lieutenant Colonel John Page, is loading for a delivery run. An Air Force payloader brings a forkload of supplies aboard. The ship, with a crew of eight warrant officers and 36 enlisted men, can carry 23,000 tons of cargo. A bulldozer is maneuvered into position for the trip by sea. Boards are placed under the heavy metal tracks to protect the deck and reduce slippage. Delivery of heavy supplies and equipment to shore points is greatly facilitated by these ships. February 13, 1966, we are now in Camron Bay, and we are in the middle of the port. In the background, we see some of the U.S. Army tugs escorting one of the larger freighters out to sea. And with me, I have the skipper of the LT1940. Tell us a little bit about your mission. A lot of mission here is to dock and undock deep graph vessels to move floating equipment around the harbor, such as crane, barges, anything that floats. What do you think of Camron Bay? I think Camron Bay is a very fine, natural harbor. In fact, it's two harbors in one. It has an outer harbor and an inner harbor. Much deep water. While a peer facility is out of limited now, there's great opportunity for development of peers. Of course, they still have fine anchorage here. In Camron Bay, now one of the major harbors of the world, the U.S. Army tugboats are kept busy by the heavy schedule of shipping. This larger tugboat in the harbor traveled under its own power from the United States via Panama, Long Beach, California, Quajolaine, and Okinawa. The tugs maneuver the heavily laden ships about the harbor and into and out of peer facilities with dispatch. It is important to make maximum use of the limited number of docked berths in order to meet supply demands. Situated within sight of an old French fortress, DeLong Pier is continuously in operation. As soon as the ship is safely docked, the tug moves off to its next task. Dockside techniques used reduce handling to a minimum. The supplies come up from the hold, swing a cross-deck over the side, and lower directly onto a waiting truck. February 15, 1966. This is Camron Bay, and we're now aboard the floating machine shop 789. With me is Warren Officer, and this is Delaney. Now would you tell us a bit about your mission here in Camron Bay and the type of vessel we're on? This type of vessel is floating machine shop. The mission of the machine shop is to provide as close as possible a dust-free elaborate machine shop for rebuilding capabilities. Well, you mentioned dust-free. I noticed there's quite a bit of sand on the beach. Is that a problem here in maintenance of equipment? Most definitely. It's a big problem due to the fact that when tearing down a piece of equipment such as engines or transmissions, it's very difficult to keep the sand out. The crane aboard the floating machine shop lowers the heavy units to be repaired to shops below deck. In this case, the item for repair is the transmission from an amphibious resupply cargo lighter. The crane delivers and picks up items from both levels of machine shops below deck. A piece of aluminum stock is turned down on the lathe to provide a needed replacement part. The capability to manufacture elements of equipment not available without recourse to the states greatly speeds the return of such equipment to active service. Keeping the widely varied U.S. Army equipment in operation is the function of the Army's floating machine shop. On 8th February 1966, the satellite communications terminal AN slash MCS-46 arrived in Hawaii. On the following morning, vans and other integral parts of the unit were transported to the Helemono Military Reservation and prepared for assembly. The ray dome which houses the unit is composed of neoprene-coated daekron. Its primary function is to weatherproof the terminal antenna. An inflation valve is connected to a dome panel. Each panel weighs an excess of 600 pounds. It is then connected to the inflator. As the great portable dome slowly inflates, the members of the crew guide and control it with ropes so that it moves into its proper place. Inflation of the unit continues until it reaches its full height of 58 feet. When completed, the dome has a wall of air 46 inches thick and weighs over 5,000 pounds. Pads, aprons, platforms, and roads were previously constructed to receive the system. Members of the Strategic Communications Command Facility placed the main unit within the dome as soon as it was ready. The satellite communications terminal was constructed in California and is one of four such units built to date. Once placed inside the dome on its concrete pad, the unit must have its superstructure added. This has been shipped in sections and panels must be assembled at the final location. Civilian technicians work with the military communications personnel to sort out and properly mount the many additional pieces of the system. Each piece must be placed with extreme care so that the antenna will effectively receive the information arriving from great distances. This entire terminal is a part of the Defense Communications Agency satellite program. Most of these men, members of STRATCOM, have a microwave or radar background. Nine of them attended courses at the factory in California learning the system's installation and operation. Headquartered in San Jose, Costa Rica is one of seven U.S. Army communications facilities in Central and South America. It is part of the worldwide system of the U.S. Army Strategic Communications Command. Here we see the commanding officer as he prepares to leave for the communications site. Located about 10 kilometers west of San Jose, the facility serves in addition to the military group, the Peace Corps, Inter-American Geodetic Survey, and the Agency for International Development. This installation, constructed in 1963, is unique in that it was built and in operation in less than one month. Despite a year-round temperate climate, buildings housing the equipment are air conditioned in order to keep out volcanic ash that now covers the area as a result of a recent eruption of Mount Iratso. The installation is capable of handling maximum traffic. The arrival in Vietnam of American forces in substantial numbers has caused a rapid mushrooming of small business. The enterprises offer whatever the soldier is likely to buy and are placed along the busiest routes. This new building is of simple construction like those in Benoit. Bright sheets of corrugated metal are added to the light framework to deflect the hot sun and keep out the heavy tropical rains of the region. This type of construction is very rapid, buildings requiring only a few days from start to finish. As the troops increase, new buildings keep pace with them. Although they are not designed to last, an effort is made to make them appear attractive to the American soldier. The gleaming metal is often decorated with commercial labels. Familiar American images are utilized in an oriental style. Among the most popular of the enterprises are laundries and car washes. Refreshment stands are equally widespread. The signs advertising the various services are in very basic English but they get their point across. Most of these Vietnamese private enterprises are located in close proximity to established armed forces bases where the troops location is temporary, more portable enterprises are found. Judging by the number of them, car washes are a thriving business in Vietnam. GIs can have their vehicle washed for a small fee. All that is needed to go into business is a small gasoline operated water pump set up close to a stream and a couple of boys to do the washing. The results appear to satisfy all concerned.